MUSIC

This week during the music session we learned about figure notes and attempted playing music by following the new notation. Figure notes differ greatly from standard musical notation as it highly simplified representing notes as colours which are marked accordingly with notes on your piano/glockenspiel (see examples of both below).

‘This intuitive way of reading music helps you to play almost instantly, increasing confidence and motivation.’ (Figurenotes, 2015)

We also got into pairs and were given either a keyboard or glockenspiel and several sheets of figure noted music. Having it being Christmas time we played jingle bells. Children may grasp onto this method as they may not know the notes therefore allowing them just to match the colours will put the worry of not knowing at ease and make the lesson more effective and enjoyable.

ART

In todays art class we were continuing to consider Room 13. This is a project which our lecturer was involved in which a vacant room within a small school in Fort William has been transformed into an art studio for the pupils. The pupils have freedom within this studio and are not restricted by the teachers plans so are able to create pieces that reflect their thoughts and feelings while allowing them to be as creative and imaginative as they please.

The pupils are involved in the committee which runs the studio, they make sure that the facility is kept clean and that resources are available. They raise funds for Room 13 by creating and selling their own art work.

This project I feel is very effective to the children, as may schools at is a lesson where you are confined to your desk and most of the art work children do the whole class is mainly completing the same piece and they all look the same. Children should be able to use their imagination and let it flourish. From further exploration of Room 13 I seen that all the art work was different and allowed for each child to express their own emotion through their piece, rather than having to copy off a whiteboard.

References:

Figurenotes. (2015). Home – Figurenotes. [online] Available at: http://www.figurenotes.org/ [Accessed 05 Jan. 2017]